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Jeff Bezos added another $7.9 billion to his net worth on Friday, after Amazon’s stock gained 9.6% Friday morning, before ending the day up 7.4%. He remains the richest person in the world, with a net worth that Forbes pegs at $123.9 billion.
Amazon beat analysts’ expectations for its fourth-quarter results, which it revealed during an earnings call after the stock market closed on Thursday. The online retail giant reported quarterly profits and revenue that grew by double digits, driven by its cloud business, Amazon Web Services. After-hours trading Thursday drove its stock up 9.6%, and Amazon stock opened Friday morning at $2,051.47. The jump pushed the company’s valuation above $1 trillion, joining other tech giants Apple, Microsoft and Alphabet in the four-comma club. Over the next hour, Amazon shares traded at an all-time high of $2,055.72, surpassing the previous record of $2,050.50 set in September 2018. The shares closed on Friday at $2,008.72, as Amazon’s market capitalization ended the day just below the $1 trillion mark.
Bezos’s ex-wife, MacKenzie Bezos, also got a tidy $2.7 billion richer from Amazon’s stock jump. Her net worth jumped to $39.4 billion. The gain comes as a recent public filing showed MacKenzie reduced her stake —either sold or gave away— $350 million worth of Amazon shares awarded to her as part of the couple’s 2019 divorce; she still owns nearly 4% of the company. A published author, MacKenzie committed to giving away half of her fortune last May by signing the Giving Pledge.
The Amazon CEO has made a colorful start to 2020, making headlines around the globe.
Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, pose for a picture during their visit to ... [+]
Earlier in January, the United Nations announced an investigation following allegations that Jeff Bezos was hacked by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, apparently by digital surveillance software installed on Bezos’s phone through a chat on WhatsApp. That allegation was then cast into doubt by a report from The Wall Street Journal saying federal prosecutors have evidence that Bezos’ girlfriend, Lauren Sanchez, gave texts between her and Bezos to her brother, Michael Sanchez, who allegedly leaked them to the National Enquirer. National Enquirer publisher American Media allegedly tried to extort Bezos over his affair with Sanchez, while he was still married to MacKenzie Bezos. Spokespersons for Amazon and American Media did not reply to Forbes’ request for comment on the matter.
As a centibillionaire, Bezos is one of only three members in the exclusive 12-digit club, where he is joined by Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates (the world’s current No. 2 richest) and LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, who currently ranks No. 3.
